Fastener



y 14, 1931- F. J. CAROLIN 1,814,077

FASTENER Fild April 24. 1930 Jwwntoa flank e]. Carolin Patented July 14,1931 STATES PATENT. OFFICE rm J. canonm, or NEWARK, NE JERSEY, ASSIGNORTo Kenn a COMPANY, or NEWARK NIW JERSEY; A CORPORATION orn zw JansnyFASTENER Application filed 'April 24, 1930. Serial No. 447,003;

"Thepresent invention relates to fasteners, particularly adapted for usein jewelry, and as for an object to provide an improved snapparticularly applicable. to chains and the like;

Another objectof the invention is to provide an improved necklace snapwherein w'henthe necklace orchain is secured in closed position by thesnap, the opposite ends ofthe chain being directly connected to theopposite ends of a single member and are so disposed as notto tendto'pull the snap open bythe drawing taut of the chain.

The invention also aimsat the provision of a snap which may'bequicklyand easily opened and closed, and which when closed will not tendytospring into open position by pressure of the chain and which-embodies aconstruction wherein the tendency of the snap. is to remain in closedposition. The invention further aims at the provision of a snapembodying the above recited characteristics and which at'thesame timemaybe easily and "economically manufactured, readily appliedtonecklacesand chains and-various other types of articles for closing thefree ends thereof, and wherein all of theparts ofthe snap arepermanently connected togetherto avoid lossor displacement incident tothe the snap.

[With the foregoing and other objects in View, the-"invention will bemore fully described hereinafter, andwillbe more par ticularly pointedout in the claims appended hereto. r p

Inthe drawings, wherein like symbols r'efer to "like or correspondingjpar'ts throughout the several views.

*Figure 1 is a side elevation of-a snap constructed according to thepresent invention,

opening and application of shown closed position,'.and asappli ed to theopposite ends of a necklace or chain.

"Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken throughtthe same with the snapin 'open' position "and showing the detachable end of the chain in apartially released position. 1

Figure 3. is a top edge view of the-snap showing the open. link or hookmember thereofin section in itsinner orpivoted end.

u rations.

Figure 4 is a transverse section through the outer'end of the snap takenon the line 4-4 of Figure 3 and showing the link or hook mem'berpartially removed from the sheath, and

Figure 5' is a similar view showing the link or hook member releasedfrom the'sheath.

Referring to the drawing, and 11 designate the opposite ends of a chainor necklace adapted to be closed by the snap of/thisinvention. The snapcomprises an open link or hook member 12 which may be constructed bystamping or otherwise in any suitable and economical inannerand which atits inner end is provided with an enlarged apertured web 13, the heel ofthe hook member 12 having an apertured eye piece 14 which may comprise acontinuation of the web .13 and which forms an eye through which theadjacent end '11 of the chain maybe permanently attached.

The opposite or free end of the link or hook'member 12 is returned uponitself'to provide a'bill which is of substantial length and which isspaced from the inner edge of the member -12 and extends toward andlies'in the plane of theweb 13. The bill 15is adaptedto engage through alink on the free end 10 of the chainor necklace and the latter isadapted to be drawn outwardly on bottomedge of the eyepiece 16 forengagement with the finger or thumb nail to facilitate the-openingof thesnap;

For the purpose of maintaining the link of the chain end 10 intheeyepiece 16 and from sliding along the bill 15, a sheath 18' is provided.The" sheath comprises a. pair of side members which may be of anysuitable construction and provided exteiiorly with surfaceornamentations, or the side members maybe otherwise constructed in liarmony with the necklace or other pieces of jewelry to which'it isapplied, and may be fabricated in different designs and configthe bill15 toward'thefree end of-the member I The side plates of the sheath 18are connected at their lower edge portions, as shown to advantage inFigure 2, by the spacer 19 which is of a thickness or width equalsubstantially to the width of the link or hook member 12. The inner endof the sheath 18 has a transverse rivet 20 of any suitable constructionand which is secured through the inner ends of the side plates andthrough the aperture in the web 13 of the hook member for pivotallysecuring the inner end of the hook member between the inner ends of theplates of the sheath.

The sheath is of a depth sufficient to receive. the hook member 12therein when the hook member is swung down into the sheath as shown inFigure 1, and the bill 15 swings down into line with the spacer 19 andseats thereagainst at the free end of the bill 15 and the outer end ofthe spacer 19 are correspondingly beveled to securely hold or lock thebill 15 from pulling out through the botom of the sheath.

It will be noted from Figure 2 in particular that the bill 15 is spacedfrom the back of the link or hook 12 and that the inner end of the bill15 merges into the eye piece 16, the latter being contracted and openinginwardly of the link or hook member 12. The outer free ends of the sidemembers of the sheath 18 are toed-in inwardly toward each other as shownto advantage in Figure 3 for restricting the space between the sidemembers at the outer end of the sheath.

The bill 15 enters the space in the sheath at its free end and as the.hook member 12 is forced downwardly into the sheath the bill 15gradually spreads the free ends of the side members of the sheath andcams them apart sufficiently to permit the inner end of the bill 15 tosnap or move past the outer extremities of the side members. By theirinherent resiliency the side members bind between the back of the hook12 and the inner end of the bill 15 as shown in Figure 1, and thusyieldingly and frictionally hold the sheath in closed position upon thelink or hook member. The sheath is so proportioned relatively to thehook member 12 that the eye piece 16 projects from the forward end ofthe sheath 18 when the device is closed, and the eye piece 14 projectsrearwardly from the sheath so as to permit of the free swinging actionof the ends 10 and 11 of the chain or necklace.

Pressure applied to the ends 10 and 11 of the necklace tending toseparate or open the same is transmitted directly from end to endthrough the link or hook member 12 and the sheath18 functions only inmaintaining the link of the free end 10 from sliding backwardly out ofthe eye piece 16 and for holding the sheath itself in position on thelink member 12. No pressure therefore is exerted on the sheath 16 andall pressure is taken up by the hook member 1.2. It will also be notedthat there is no pressure exerted upon the sheath to open or displacethe same from the link member when the necklace or chain is drawn taut.

In operation, it is only necessary to secure the eye piece 1a of thehook member to one end 11 of the chain or necklace. The free end 10 ofthe necklace has one of its links engaged over the bill 15 of the hookmember 12 and slid outwardly thereon into the eye piece 16. The sheath18 and the hook member 12 are then swung upon the connecting pivot 20toward one another until the end of the bill engages between the sideplates of the sheath and tends to spread the same.

Further pressure upon the parts cams the bill 15 between the toed-in orinwardly bent outer ends of the side plates so as to spring the latterapart sufficiently to admit of the passage of the bill 15 downwardlytherethrough into the back or bottom part of the sheath 18.

The bill 15 is limited in its swinging movement by engaging the outeredge of the spacer 19 and the latter holds the bill 15 from springingout of the sheath. This inter-engaging of the spacer 19 and the hookalso serves the purpose of returning the bill 15 of the hook to normalposition should the bill be bent outwardly away from the back of thehook member 12 incident to the posipioning or removal of the end 10 ofthe neckace.

Figure 4 shows the outer end of the hook member with its bill 15 wedgedbetween the toed-in portions of the side plates of the sheath. The hookmember when forced downwardly into t-he sheath completely enters thesame as shown in Figure 1, with the back or upper part of the hookmember 12 lying between the upper edge portions of the side plates. i

l'Vhen the hook member is disengaged from the sheath, by holding thesheath in one hand and grasping the eye piece 16 between the thumb andfingers, using the projection 17 as a shoulder to engage the thumb orfinger nail, the outer end of the hook member is raised completely outof the sheath as shown in Figure 5, andthe toed-in ends of the sideplates spring toward each other as shown in Figures 3 and 5. i

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construction and design of the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modifications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is V 1. A fastener device of the character describedcomprising a sheath consisting of spaced relatively yieldable' sideplates havirio ing inner plane surfaces and an integral connectionbetween said side plates intermediate of their ends and at correspondinglongitudinal edges thereof, said plates at one of their ends and beyondsaid integral connection converging inwardl towards each other, and alink member aving a shank pivoted between the other ends of said sideplates of the sheath, said link member at its opposite end having areturned hook bill, said shank and the hook bill in the closed positionof the link member lying between said side plates of the sheath at theirrelativel opposite edges, and the terminal of the hoo bill engaging saidintegral connection between said plates to limit movement of the linkmember to its closed position.

2. A fastener device of the character described comprising a sheathconsisting of spaced side plates and a part connecting said platesintermediate of their ends and adjacent corresponding longitudinal edgesthereof permitting relative yielding of the plates towards and from eachother, said plates at one of their ends and in spaced relation to saidconnecting part converging inwardly towards each other, and a linkmember having a shank pivoted between the other ends of said side platesand provided at its free endwith a returned hook bill, spaced parts ofsaid shank and hook bill in the closed position of said member, lyingbetween the relatively opposite edges of the sheath plates andresiliently gripped between the converging ends thereof, and theterminal of the hook bill engagin said connecting part to limit movement0. the link member to its closed position.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my lIlVBIltlOIl, I havesigned my name hereto.

- FRANK J. CAROLIN.

